I'll Touch Ev'ry Star in the Sky
by Yotsubadancesintherain5
Summary: You needn't be that if you don't want to be. Part 4 of the Fairytale/Supernatural series.


Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a tiny kingdom. It was big enough to establish a monarchy but small enough so that royalty and servants were allowed in the same quarters. It was in this kingdom that lived a Lord. He was a widower and he cherished his daughter, who was named Sapphire. The Lord had decided to marry once again, and his new wife brought her own daughters, though all were cruel behind their honeyed smiles. The Lord had become very sick and passed away, leaving the Lady to the estate.

She revealed what kind of a person she truly was, and did not treat Sapphire well. She told Sapphire that her memories were of a servant girl's wild dreams. The Lady quietly dismissed her tutors.

The Lady was not short-sighted, however, as children could not cook without burning the meal. She hired two servants, Pearl and Amethyst, and both were to be helpers to her daughters.

Amethyst would sneak the leftovers for Sapphire, a greater portion of food than what she was initially given. Pearl would teach her the tricks to clean in less time. Both would help to calm the animosity that the Lady possessed to the girl.

Sapphire's fear of the Lady curled into a corner of her heart. The Lady's anger was like a snake poised to strike. It was not the fear of the fangs in and of itself, but the break of the stance and the venom that would seep into blood.

Many years later, when Sapphire was no longer a little girl, the kingdom announced that there would be a ball in honor of the princess. The princess had been kept out of royal affairs and was to find someone who would be a worthy suitor.

It was an experience that would never be forgotten and Sapphire felt a yearning yank on her heart. She knew it was one of her silly dreams, not unlike the feeling of the sweetest smell of a rose. But her wish was so great that she gathered up the courage to ask the Lady if she could go. It was the only way, as the castle was a very long travel from the estate.

Her work was doubled, and she declined Pearl and Amethyst's offers of help. It had to be done by her, and perhaps the Lady would deny her to go if she received help. There were a small amount of minutes to work on her dress for the ball, one that had been disdainfully tossed aside by one of the Lady's daughters.

One the day of the event, Sapphire was given the most work and continued on even when Pearl and Amethyst were dismissed to get ready for the ball. It was nearly the time of it when she tiredly entered her room, exhaustion burrowed into her bones.

The dress was finished, with a necklace around the sewing dummy and all of the imperfections by her inexperienced hands fixed. There were pins on the table for her hair and gloves and Sapphire stood in shock at the sight.

She heard Pearl ask nervously if she liked it and turned to see the two standing there. Amethyst let it slip that items were discarded by the Lady's daughters, an apology under her words.  
Sapphire hugged them both and thanked them profusely. Her gratitude stepped into the past a little and Pearl was the one to gently step back and comment that they should get her ready.

It was strange to be the one taken care of, though the dress was less elaborate and it did not take much time at all. Sapphire slid on the gloves as Pearl and Amethyst went down to join the Lady and her daughters.

She hurried down the stairs and smiled when the Lady announced it was time to leave. The Lady looked with bewilderment.

Her bewilderment changed to a sneer. She said that it was a shame they harbored a thief in this house and did not stop her daughters from tearing off what they believed was theirs.  
The chaos passed, torn fabric on the floor and beads scattered. Sapphire saw the two servants' horrified expressions and her vision blurred. She cast her head down, heard the Lady announce that now they were ready to leave and the front door clicked close.

Sapphire's heart felt brittle and she ran to the courtyard. She wanted to keep running, from the Lady and the coldness of the fireplace and silly dreams that died before they were born.  
She collapsed in front of a bench and sobbed, her face buried in her arms.

The smell of the sweetest roses seemed to envelop her and Sapphire looked up to see a woman holding her. The woman's hair was a cascade of ringlets and she was dressed in a simple cloak.  
The woman smiled sadly and brushed back Sapphire's hair. She said that she was sorry that it took this long, but fairy godmothers were not to interfere until their godchild's hope was nearly diminished.  
Sapphire wondered if her grief had produced another dream, but the woman seemed to be real.

The woman asked what Sapphire wished for and she told the woman of the ball the kingdom was holding. The woman declared that this wasn't fit for her godchild and searched for something in her sleeves, drawing out a wand.

The woman looked about the courtyard and transformed an apple into a great carriage. She made a driver and horses from the pebbles on the ground. She twirled her wand around Sapphire and her ruined dress became a silvery gown, with an elegant pair of gloves and glass slippers to match.

Sapphire felt tears fill her eyes again and her godmother rested her hand on her shoulder, reminding her of the event. She told the girl that the magic would only last until midnight, though the glass slippers would remain. She hurried Sapphire to the carriage and waved good-bye until it was out of sight.

The event was densely crowded and Sapphire weaved in and out of people's way. She did not regret going, but the air was stifling and she pushed through to go outside.  
It was quiet out there, with a few guests wandering around the large garden. Sapphire headed to a fountain and rested there, taking in the exhilaration of the party.

Someone settled next to her and Sapphire saw that it was a woman dressed finely, a duchess. The woman smiled at Sapphire, and asked for her name.

Sapphire introduced herself and the woman said that her name was Ruby. She had known the princess when they were children and asked if Sapphire had ever been tutored by the same teachers.

Sapphire felt intensely aware of her calloused and rough hands and didn't answer. Ruby brushed away her question like a pesky cobweb and continued with the conversation. It made Sapphire slip into peace. She hadn't know before that noble women would sometimes sneak a slide down a stair rail or explore the secrets of their manor. Sapphire could not call the memories her own but Ruby could make the visions so vivid.  
When Sapphire held the conversation, she spoke of sitting near a fireplace and observing the cooks. They were half-lies that painted a beautiful life.

All too soon, the clock chimed midnight and Sapphire felt a deep disappointment pierce her heart. She hurried up to leave as the noise rang out and stopped suddenly, though it was not because of Ruby's questions.

The Lady was standing there, her mouth a thin line. She stepped forward and raised her hand. The stance was broken.

Sapphire grabbed her wrist and flung it aside, causing the Lady to stumble. Sapphire fled into the crowd of people, jostling one of her slippers loose in the panic, and heard the Lady scream to stop her.

Spurred faster by the Lady's cry to stop the girl, Sapphire practically threw herself down the stairs.  
She flung herself into the carriage and it moved quickly, racing over the road as the last chimes echoed throughout the kingdom.

The magic was broken when the estate was just a little ways away, and Sapphire ran to it. She rushed inside, to the kitchen, and stumbled in front of the fireplace. She knew the soot would be ingrained into her torn clothing and desperately hoped that this would convince the Lady that she had never left.

She heard voices and Ruby was the first to enter the kitchen. The woman looked upon her with confusion and didn't find the words before the Lady arrived. Nothing would calm the fire behind her eyes, not even Pearl's reasoning or Amethyst's compliments.  
But the storm were restrained in front of the nobility. The Lady apologized for causing Ruby such trouble, and the woman regarded her with a rocky expression.

Sapphire could see the Lady's daughters enter the kitchen, along with Pearl and Amethyst and multiple guards. Her face burned with shame with all of the eyes on her.

Ruby silently knelt beside her and brought out the glass slipper. The Lady began to smile and loftily informed Ruby that Sapphire was in fact a Lord's daughter and would be suitable for courtship.

Sapphire had never seen anybody glare at the Lady, or make her stop short. Ruby's expression softened when she turned back to Sapphire and she quietly said that Sapphire did not have to be anybody she was forced to be.

Sapphire thought of wild thoughts dreamed by servant girls, of a mold she was forced into and a mold that was too great to comprehend. She asked to be free.

Ruby fit the slipper onto her foot, a perfect pair. She offered to bring her to live in the castle as whoever she wanted to be, and Ruby held out her hand to pull her up.

Sapphire took the hand and agreed to the offer. She said that there had to be some people that would come with her.

The Lady's triumphant smile extinguished when Sapphire asked Pearl and Amethyst to join her.

They left the estate and onward to a new life.

Happily ever after would be a long way, but the beginning was sweet nonetheless.

**A/N: Originally posted on Ao3 on January 15 2017**

**Title comes from "So This is Love" from Cinderella (1950) and summary comes from a modified quote from "Ella Enchanted" (the book, not the movie).**

**I think I might be more in love with the Cinderella story than I think.**


End file.
